A factory-original 1970 Boss 302 with known history from new. Purchased from the original owner in 1974 by Paul J. Pettey, the independent Trans-Am competitor and modified for racing. Intended as the back-up car for his primary #45 Reventlow-Pettey 1969 Mustang, but never used as such. Converted into a close replica of the famous Bud Moore Engineering Trans-Am Mustangs by the Trans-Am specialists at Conover Engineering with completion in 2008. The subject of a 2011 magazine feature and accompanied by original build sheet, receipts, track notebooks, and VRA logbook. Recent and intensive racing preparation by Arrow Lane Racing and eligible for Trans Am Group 6 racing class in vintage competition.

From humble origins in 1966, the Sports Car Club of America's Trans-Am racing series reached its pinnacle during the early 1970s as virtually every American automobile manufacturer vied for supremacy on the track and showroom floor in one of the best examples of the “win on Sunday, sell on Monday” adage. This 1970 Ford Mustang Boss 302 competition car is a particularly attractive example from those heady days with its well-known and very interesting history.

Originally finished in Grabber Blue, the Boss was purchased new by Joan M. Ericsson of Waterbury, Connecticut, who retained it until December 1974, when it was acquired by Paul J. Pettey, the privateer racer from Litchfield, Connecticut. Mr. Pettey modified the car for racing as a back-up to his #45 1969 Mustang racecar, but it was never used as such by him, so it was therefore not subject to the rough-and tumble of racing in its early days. Mr. Pettey’s high-profile racing career begins in early 1968, when he was a co-driver to Bruce Jennings and Charlie Rainville in the ex-Dan Gurney, Bud Moore Engineering-built #23 Mercury Cougar, which mounted a strong challenge and ran as high as seventh in the 10th hour of the race before Rainville suffered a spectacular wreck.

Pettey's career included numerous Trans-Am races through the early 1970s, plus four more starts at Sebring - driving there in 1984 with Bob Tullius' famed Group 44 team, as well as drives in IMSA GTO through 1988. He eventually passed away in 1997 and at that time, he owned the 1970 Boss 302 offered here, the ex-Group 44 Jaguar XJR-4 he had driven at Sebring in 1984, and a Jaguar D-Type sports racer. Next, the Pettey cars were sold from the Estate and in the hands of its next owner, this Boss 302 was sent during 2005 the Trans-Am specialists at Conover Racing and Restorations in Hanover, Pennsylvania, where it was converted into a close replica of the fabled Bud Moore Engineering 1970 Trans-Am champion Mustangs. The subject of a January 2011 feature in the inaugural edition of Auto Enthusiast magazine, this original 1970 Mustang Boss 302 is finished and detailed as an exacting tribute of an original Bud Moore Trans Am car, powered by a proper race-prepped G-Code engine with cold-air induction, mated to a 4-speed manual transmission with scatter shield. Among its many racing features, the Mustang includes a racing fuel cell, braided stainless-steel fuel lines with A/N fittings, competition long-tube racing headers and exhaust pipes exiting in front of the rear wheels, Minilite wheels and racing tires, and much more. Safety equipment includes racing buckets, a racing toll cage, window netting, and onboard fire-suppression system, and legendary Bud Moore Trans-Am team driver George Follmer's autograph adorns the Mustang's dash.

The Boss is accompanied at auction with outstanding documents including the original build sheet, plus receipts, track notebooks, and the VRA logbook. Built for racing in period by Mr. Pettey and again for the rigors of racing today, this Mustang has participated in many vintage-racing events across the country in the Trans Am Group 6 racing class since 2008 and it is eligible for many highly competitive and desirable events. However, since it did not actually participate in an "original" Trans Am race, it cannot run with the select "Historic Trans Am Group" under that organization's present rules. Prior to acquisition by the Consignor, the ex-Paul Pettey Boss 302 Mustang underwent a full "nut-and-bolt" race preparation at Arrowlane Racing of Scottsdale, Arizona, and it is ready to resume its vintage-racing career. The car presently has a fresh $15K engine rebuild by MAECO Motorsport with less than 2 test hours only on engine.